Safety device for wringers



Dec. 14, 1937. E. cfHlLL SAFETY DEVICE FOR WRINGERS Filed AugQ 15, 1955 meneame. 14,1931. 2,102,154

z,1ii2,154.

- SAFETY DEVICE FOB WBINGEBS `Ernest C. Hill, MedfordiMass;

Application August 15, 1935, Serial No. $6,2894

i y i oi'ilaima (Cl. 1921-133) z h invention relatesto a? safety device for a" through which an extension bar 2l passes. which clothes wringer; i j 'baris attached at one end tora resetting knob One object of myinvention is to provide a '28 for the switch, by a bolt29. Said extension saietydevice for an electricallyorpower drivenbar 21 has a longitudinal slot 30 through which `il `wrin'ger which will automatically shut oi! the a horizontal linger 3i extends which permits vli- Y motor when the fingers or hands. or any other"V said bar 21 to move vertically while said finger i part of the operator, are in any position 'where f 3| remains in said slot l0. A movablebracket they are likely to be caught in the wringer. `It 32 ismovably mounted in a frame I3. 'Said ex isapreventive of accidents by eliminating their tension bar 21 is fastened to said movablebracket p causebei'oretheycan happen. -32 by meansof the bracket offset member N 10A Another object is tomake my device simplel 'fittingfinto a hole in sald'bar 21, so that they Y in construction and operation' so that it will `will move together upon actuation. Extending j add but little to the selling price of a wringer. from said movable bracket 32 is a movable i Still another obiect is to "so construct `my device switch contact member l5; while above it is a llo that it can be made as an accessory and attached vstationary switchl contact member 36; being the l5 to or usedinconjunction withwringers already `usual contact `members in well knownswitches, inuse at small expense.` i and when they are in"contac t `with `each other The foregoing and other `objects which will ari-V the switch is closed and the current is on, wherei pear as the nature of the invention is better un-V bythe wringer is operated, and while=`they are m derstood, may be 'accomplished by a construclout of contact,asillustrated in Figure 8 of the tioni'combinatlonand operative arrangement of@ drawing, the switch `is open. the/current is of! parts such as is disclosed bythe drawing. The f and the wringer ceasesto operate. f Along switch nature ofthe invention is such as' to render it button or finger "I'Ifis fastened to the said movsusceptible to various changes andmodiiications, kablebraclxet I2, the position of which finger deg Q25 and,wthereiore, I` amnot to be limited to the .termines `whether orjnot'the-switchis open or construction disclosed by the drawing;"bt am closed. as laterdescribed. A coil spring 28 "entitled to vall such changes therefrom as fall fastened to said loifset member' 3l at one Send. within the "scope of 'my claims. .f and to said horizontal finger Il at the other end i Inthedrawing: `4 l is under tension -when said 4switch nager 31 is E f i 30; Ziligure- 1 is a perspective 4view of an electri- `depressed and the switch closed; 1 of 1 `cally drivenwringerwith my safety device at- My safety device has an oscillating lever 'Id tachedthe'reto," V'shown at the leftl side of the wringer I2, inove `Il 'igure `2- isfan end "elevation, sectional 'view ment ofiwhich" opens the switchand 4shutsoff l takenon the line 2+2 ofFigure 1, the circuit, there ybeing v`a somewhatV similar lever t h Figure .3 is alfront elevation view, partly in i .Il atthe other side,` later described4 Said lever 35' section,` and broken away.` showing a" portion 5 has'j an extension arm Il having two holes r of mysafety device attached to 4a wringer with` l2 therein" spaced, spam-'the portion of said the switch' partly `broken away and in open arm between lsaid holes I term the bridge porv punition.` Q "tion I8. When-said switch gnger'll extends 40 Figure 4j isa section taken on'the line {f4-of through either hole '42 the switch is open and 40 ligure 3, illustrating part ofthe switch, and the circuit .broken:`.but.when the button isun` showing it in closed position.v

. N A-mxri'rr-:o (STATES PATENT OFFICE Vderneath saidarm 4| and-abutting "against said illustrated, my device is operable in combibridge' portion Il, :as illustrated in Figure 4 off; v nationwithan ordinary type ofelectricaHyor the drawing, the switch is closed,said contact power driven wringer i2, and is shown attached "members il and Il being together..' Baidrl'e'verAggfvv thereto: `Said wringer i2has atop Il', and two lli is" pivotally mounted on a rodv ""which 'is sidesl which lare at each end of the wringer` `r fastened to aside i8 of the said wringer`|2, so

` rolls I Iihave` designated the space left bei that movement lof said lever'lii forward or backtween the wringer rolls as |6.f It has a sup-'- ward moves saidextension arm Il, thereby pre- "5o porting pan i1 and the usual gear and driving senting one or the other of s aid holes directly 50 lmeans I8. over said switch finger 31. which, beingunder My device has a switch box 22 supported `by spring pressure, Vimmediately passes upwardlyk -a bracket 23 which is shown fastened to a side into ahole 4-2, 4which results in said contact It of the wringer by` screws `2l. Said switchw Amember IB moving downwardly away from said 5s box 22 has a top plate 25 having a slot 28 thereiny contact member .I6 thus opening the switch and 55 cutting E the supply of electricity which operates the wringer. Connected to said levers 40 and 63 are guard means 41 at the front of and also at the rear of the wringer, pressure against which results in actuating said extension arm 4| to open the switch as described. Should a persons fingers, hand or other part be moved to such a position that there is danger of being caught between the said wringer rolls I5 or actually caught therein, they will contact with and exert pressure on said guard means 41 to thereby oscillate said levers 48 and 63 and move said arm 4| to thereby shut o5 the supply of electricity. 'I'hls pressure against the guard means 41 may be in a forward or backward direction, and in either event said switch nger 81 will have a hole 42 presented opposite and above it into which hole it will pass to thereby open the circuit.

Said guard means 41 has an upper rod 48 both ends of which are connected to said levers 48 and 63 by sleeves 49 in which the ends of said rod 48 engage, there being stub rods 50 engaging said sleeves 48 at their outside ends, said stub rods being fastened to said levers 40 and 63 by nuts 5|. 'While I havevshown this particular construction of rods and sleeves just described it will be understood that it may be varied, and, if desired, a single rod may be used which ex tends from the said lever 40 to the other lever 63 and directly connected thereto.

Screws 53 loosely extend through said sleeves 49, not being screw threadedly engaged therewith, and screw into combined nuts and elbows 54, with which the ends of a lower rod 55 engage, so that there are rods opposite each wringer roll I5, one above the other. 'Ihumb -nuts 51 screw on said screws 58 above said sleeves 48 and locking nuts 58 also screw on said screw 55 below said a' sleeves 49, so that if it is desired to move said rods 48 and 55 nearer or farther away from each other saidl nuts 51 and 58 may be moved accordingly, thus providing an adjustment feature to my guard means lwhich is desirable on account of the difference in size of the hands and fingers of persons who may use the wringer.

Loosely mounted and rotatable on said upper rod 48 is a roller 60 which will rotate on said rod 48 as the clothes to be wrung come in contact with it. Of course, any substantial pressure against it will move said guard means 41 and oscillate said lever 48 and open the switch; but it will merely rotate as a result of the light pressure of the articles to be wrung passing over it.

u On the said lower rod 55 is a roller 8| similar to the said roller 50 and for the 4same purpose. These rollers 60 and 6| may be spaced vfrom the wringer rolls about 17' of an inch, which distance has been found effective.` `Extending as they do directly in front of each wringer roll I5, when the iingers or hands 'are dangerously close to said wringer rolls they will press against one of said rollers '60 and 6| and thereby shut off the current as previously described. This is true whether they are pushed orpulled as movement of the lever arm 4| to either side presents a hole 42 opposite said iinger 51 into which it will pass.

At the right side o'f the wringer and pivotally mounted .thereto is an oscillating lever 68 which is connected to the said lever 4 0 as previously described, so that substantial pressure on any part of the said guard means 41 will result in opening the switch. This lever 68 is of somewhat diii'erent shape than the lever 40, having ears 64 at the front and back, each ear having hole 66 therein, in each of which one end of a coil spring 66 is fastened, the other end being fastened to a small bracket 61 which is held by a bolt 68 to the wringer. There is a said coil spring 66 at the front and one at the back of the wringer, and these opposing springs serve to keep said levers 40 and 63 in equilibrium in a predetermined position, in which the position oi' the switch finger 31 under and against Vthe said bridge portion 48 is normally maintained, the switch, as previously explained, then being in closed position.

When the switch is opened and the operation ofthe wringer thereby stopped, it can instantly be started again by merely pressing the said resetting knob 28, which moves 'said switch nnger 31 out of a said hole 42 whereupon the springs 66 restore the levers 40 and 63 to their normal position and the switch finger 31 automatically moves to its normal position against'the under side of the bridge portion 43, and the switch is again in closed position.

Inasmuch as electrically driven wringers are commonly made reversible I provide said guard means 41 at the front and rear of said wringer.

What I claim is:

1. A safety device comprising movable lever means embodying an arm extending outwardly and having a plurality of holes therein, spring means `connected to and adapted to hold said lever means in a predetermined position, electrical switching instrumentalities embodying a finger adapted upon actuation to open and close said instrumentalities and adapted to enter said holes, and a spring operatively connected to said finger, said finger bearing against the under side of said arm between said holes under tension of said spring when said lever means is in said predetermined position, and guard means connected to said lever means movement of which guard meansis adapted to move said arm and thereby present one of said holes opposite said finger whereby said finger may enter said hole.

2. A safety device comprising movable lever means embodying an arm extending outwardly and having a plurality of holes therein, electrical switching instrumentalities embodying a finger adapted to enter said holes, movement of which finger opens and closes said switching instrumentalities, a bar, means connecting said finger and bar together whereby they may be actuated together, a spring operatively connected to said bar and finger, said bar, finger and spring being so positioned that movement of said bar downwardly depresses said finger and tensions said spring, and guard means connected to said lever means, movement of which guard means is adapted to move said arm.

3. In combination, a motor driven wringer andv a safety device, said safety device comprising a movable leverl pivotally fastened to each side of said wringer, one said leverembodying an arm extending outwardly and having a hole therein to receive a finger, guard means extending between and connected to said levers, spring means fastened to one said lever and to said wringer, electrical switching instrumentalities embodying a finger actuation of which opens and closes said switching instrumentalities, said spring means normally holding said levers in such position that said finger abuts against said arm; said guard means being adapted to be moved whereby said arm is moved and said hole is presented opposite said finger.

4. A safety device comprising two movable lever members spaced apart, electrical switching 9,102,154. Ainstruinentalities connected `to and adapted to be actuated by the movement of one of said lever memberarod means` extending between said lever members embodyingltwo rods spaced apart one above the other, one of said rods being fastened to said lever members, means connecting said rods together, a roller` on each said rodadapted to rotate thereon, two springs fastened to one of said lever members at opposite sides adapted to hold said rod means in a predetermined position, said switching instrumentalities and said lever member connected thereto being so positioned relative to each other that when said rod `means are in a predetermined position said` switching instrumentalities are closed.

Vbodying an arm extending outwardly therefrom and havinga plurality of holes therein spaced apart, electrical switching instrumentalities adapted to be actuatedby the movement oi said levers embodying a button at the outside of said instrumentalities, a ringer adapted to extend into said holes in said arm, means operatively connecting said button and finger together whereby actuation of said button actuates said finger, said nger beingadapted to abut against the under side of said arm between said holes when said instrumentalities are in `closed position, guard means connected to said levers embodying rod means, said rod means embodyingtwo rods one above the other and spaced from and directly opposite said wringer rolls, means connecting'said rods, and spring members fastened to one of said levers and to said wringer, said spring members being adapted to hold said guard means in a predeterminedposition whereby said nger normally abuts against the under side of said arm, said guard means being adapted to be moved to such a position that one of the said holes in saidarm is presented opposite and above said nger whereby said nger may enterit. i

ERNEST C. HILL. 

